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Stella Clark's 12 points, three rebounds and four assists on Monday, the Northeastern women's basketball team put up a fight against top-ranked Oregon, despite playing to the 89-47 defeat at Matthew Knight Arena.
Ayanna Dublin followed Clark's scoring lead, registering eight points and four rebounds against the Ducks, who two days prior had become the first collegiate team to defeat the United States women's national team since 1999. Rookie forward
Mide Oriyomi was one of nine NU players who made their way into the Huskies' scoring column, adding six points to the team's cause.
Making its third all-time appearance against the nation's No. 1 team, Northeastern (0-2) kept pace with Oregon (1-0) through the opening quarter, remaining within a seven-point margin at the quarter break. After the Ducks had rode the 13-4 scoring run to start the game, the Huskies' defense locked down, limiting Oregon to one field goal during the period's final four minutes.
Despite Clark scoring more first-half points than the two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year, Sabrina Ionescu, the Ducks received 14 second-quarter points from Ruthy Hebard, carrying the 47-22 advantage into the locker rooms. Hebard posted the game high, 21 points, hauling in 12 rebounds as well to achieve the game's lone double-double.
Northeastern did not back down during the second half, logging its best shooting numbers during the third quarter. The Huskies managed to compile a 13-5 scoring run spanning a four-and-a-half minute stretch across the final two periods.
Clark's 12 points rank as the second most that a Northeastern player has ever recorded against the No. 1 team in the AP poll. Ashlee Feldman holds the program record with her 17-point performance at No. 1 Duke exactly 13 years prior (Nov. 11, 2006).
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